Death toll from bootleg liquor poisoning in India rises to more than 100

Relatives in the northern town of Saharanpur mourn victims who died after drinking toxic locally made alcoholAFP/GETTY IMAGES

More than 100 people have died after drinking bootleg alcohol in northern India, the latest tragedy caused by the country’s vast illegal booze racket.

Weddings, a funeral party and a prayer gathering in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand bore the brunt of the fatalities, with at least 59 people killed after a party in the northern town of Saharanpur alone. The first deaths were reported on Thursday, but fatalities rocketed over the weekend as police in two states scrambled to trace the fatal batch of alcohol, which officers said was “white like milk and smelt of diesel”.

Hundreds more have been hospitalised and, with wedding season in full swing, there are fears of more deaths to come. Hospitals across the region reported fresh…

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